The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.
The present invention relates generally to radio-frequency antenna structures. More specifically, the present invention relates to microstrip antenna arrays for use in navigation systems, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), and in wireless and satellite communications systems. The present invention further relates to generating spatial nulls with pairs of microstrip antenna elements excited in fundamental and higher order modes. The present invention also relates to multiple frequency band applications in the aforementioned fields.
Any communications or navigation system is susceptible to degradation due to interfering conditions. The carrier signal is vulnerable to interruption by natural phenomena, interference from other signals or countermeasures. Countermeasures may take the form of a variety of jamming schemes whose sole purpose is to disrupt the operation of a receiver.
A variety of techniques are currently used to decrease the effects of interference in receivers. Adaptive nulling involves the cancellation of a signal received by one antenna element relative to another. A conventional, multi-element adaptive array requires xe2x80x9cNxe2x80x9d number of elements to null out xe2x80x9cNxe2x88x921xe2x80x9d interference sources. For example, a seven-element array can, at the most, suppress six broadband interference sources. Since each antenna element needs its own receiver and also a complex weighting network to adapt the antenna pattern, the high cost and technical complexity of such a multi-element antenna array may make it unattractive for many commercial and military systems in which cost and simplicity are important considerations. Thus, a need exists for a simple adaptive array as an alternative to more complex and expensive multi-element adaptive arrays.
Due to limited space availability in airborne platforms, antennas used by various avionics systems are placed very close together resulting in significant co-site interference from harmonics of the signals radiated by the neighboring antennas, or from xe2x80x9csplatterxe2x80x9d of the transmitted energy outside their specified frequency band. A low profile means for suppressing co-site interference in antennas used for satellite navigation and communications without affecting the ability of the antenna array to receive desired signals would clearly be beneficial.
Multipath is a significant problem in both navigational and communications systems. It degrades navigational accuracy in GPS systems and can be a source of interference in communications systems. Multipath can be caused by xe2x80x9cstructuralxe2x80x9d reflections (such as shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b) from specular reflecting surfaces of numerous scattering sources common to an urban environment such as buildings, large vehicles, aircraft or ships. Alternatively, multipath can be caused by ground reflections at low grazing angles off the moist ground, rooftops, sea surface or a large body of water close to the antenna. Since the GPS satellites transmit right-handed circularly polarized (RHCP) signals, and the polarization of the multipath signal after reflection is normally reversed, the rejection of the cross-polarized (left-handed circularly polarized, LHCP) signals is important to avoid multipath problems.
Various types of antennas have been proposed for GPS multipath mitigation. Choke ring ground planes are circular ground planes with quarter wavelength slots to present a high impedance to currents flowing on the ground plane to prevent their interference with the antenna radiation. A typical choke ring ground plane has a diameter of about 14 to 16 inches, a height of about 3 inches or higher, and a weight of approximately 10 to 20 pounds. Such antennas are not suitable for airborne applications because of their construction and weight. Additionally, it is difficult to design choke ring ground plane antennas that operate simultaneously in the two GPS frequency bands (L1 and L2). Other types of GPS multipath limiting antennas also exist, but have even larger physical sizes or profiles.
Microstrip patch antennas are attractive due to their compact structure, light weight due to the absence of heavy metal stamped or machined parts, and low manufacturing cost using printed circuit technology. They also provide low profiles, conformity to surfaces and direct integration with microwave circuitry. Consequently, microstrip patch antennas are used widely in antenna arrays.
Nurie and Langley have studied the use of concentric annular patches with circumferential slots as a dual frequency band microstrip antenna array. Performance of Concentric Annular Patches as a Dual Frequency Band Microstrip Array Element, Sixth International Conference on Antennas and Propagation, 1989. They experimented with exciting the annular ring patches in two different modes, a lower order TM11 mode and a higher order TM12 mode. However, they encountered difficulties in exciting the TM12 mode due to the presence of other even higher order modes that were either close to or overlapping the frequency band of interest. They have attempted to suppress these higher order modes by cutting slots in the outer annular ring. They also operated the two antennas as separate entities to service two completely different communications or radar systems, but no attempt was made to adaptively combine the signals from these two antennas so as to generate a combined antenna pattern with a spatial null for mitigation of interference or to suppresses the cross polarized radiated signals to suppress multipath.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,249 to Seavey discloses two element antenna arrays, including at least one annular ring antenna excited in a higher order mode, exclusively for providing simultaneous satellite and terrestrial communications. However, the disclosed arrays again do not attempt to adaptively combine the signals from the at least one annular ring antenna and other antennas in the disclosed arrays to generate nulls for reducing multiple interference signals, co-site interference signals, or GPS multipath. In addition the radiation mode that was used for terrestrial communication was a higher order mode with a radiation pattern that has multiple lobes that is not optimum for terrestrial communications in all azimuthal directions.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the invention to address the needs described above by providing an antenna array capable of steering a wide spatial null for limiting multiple interference sources, such as natural multipath or electronic countermeasures at a desired elevation angle, preferably on or close to the horizon.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a lightweight, low cost alternative to more complex and expensive multi-element adaptive arrays by the use of microstrip patch elements. Advantages offered by this antenna array include its low profile making it attractive for airborne systems because of reduced aerodynamic drag, its low manufacturing cost using printed circuit technology, and its light weight due to the absence of heavy metal stamped or machined parts in its construction.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a low-profile means for suppressing co-site interference in antennas used for satellite navigation and communications without affecting the ability of the antenna array to receive desirable signals.
And it is yet another objective of the present invention to provide an antenna array capable of simultaneous satellite and terrestrial communication in a plurality of frequency bands, by generating two different, orthogonal types of antenna patternsxe2x80x94one directed towards zenith for communicating with satellites, and the other towards horizon to facilitate terrestrial communications.
In one embodiment, the present invention is a two element microstrip antenna array designed to place a deep spatial xe2x80x9cringxe2x80x9d null in the radiated antenna pattern over a 360xc2x0 azimuth circle at either the horizon, the most prevalent interference scenario, or another selected low elevation angle. The antenna array comprises an inner microstrip patch antenna for use as an auxiliary element in nulling interference, and an outer microstrip patch antenna disposed around the inner microstrip patch antenna, the outer microstrip patch antenna having a geometry symmetrical to the inner microstrip patch antenna and resonance in a higher-order, such as the TM41 mode. A dielectric substrate layer separates the patch antennas and a conducting ground plane that extends beyond the outermost dimensions of the outer microstrip patch antenna. Both the inner patch antenna and outer patch antenna are each connected to sets of four coaxial probes that extend up through the conducting ground plane and dielectric substrate layer and are symmetrically spaced at 90xc2x0 intervals around the respective patch antennas. Each probe of each set of four coaxial probes are driven in equal amplitudes but at relative phase angles of 0xc2x0, 90xc2x0, 180xc2x0, and 270xc2x0 respectively, thereby forcing both the outer microstrip patch antenna and inner microstrip patch antenna to generate a right hand circularly polarized lower order TM11 mode far field radiation pattern and allowing co-modal phase tracking between the inner microstrip patch antenna and outer microstrip patch antennas. The arrangement of the four probes of the inner microstrip patch antenna relative to the location of the four probes in the outer microstrip patch antenna are not critical as long as the proper relative phase relationship is maintained among the four probes comprising each set. Another advantage of using a symmetric set of four probes that are properly phased is the suppression of higher order modes from being excited in the larger outer microstrip patch antenna.
To generate a spatial ring null at a desired elevation angle, such as the horizon, signals received by the inner microstrip antenna and outer patch antenna are combined through an adaptive nulling network consisting of a variable attenuator and a variable phase shifter. The signal from the inner circular patch antenna, which has a higher gain, is first attenuated such that its signal is equal in amplitude to the signal received by the outer annular ring in the specific direction in which the null is to be placed; next, the phase shifter is varied until the phase angles of the signals from these two antennas are exactly 180xc2x0 (or opposite) in phase so as to cancel each other out to form a null in the desired direction of the null. The antenna pattern xe2x80x9cshapedxe2x80x9d in this manner generates a spatial xe2x80x9cring nullxe2x80x9d around a complete 360xc2x0 circle in azimuth enabling the antenna to simultaneously null out multiple interference sources that impinge on the antenna array.
In a preferred embodiment, the inner microstrip patch antenna comprises a circular microstrip patch antenna for use as the auxiliary element in nulling interference, and the outer microstrip patch antenna comprises an annular ring microstrip patch antenna disposed around the circular microstrip patch antenna. The conducting ground plane is comprised of either a simple metal plate or preferably a kapton film with a sputtered, tapered resistive film of Indium Tin Oxide, bonded to a thin plastic plate. The conducting ground plate has the effect of suppressing antenna back-lobes.
In another embodiment, the present invention is a GPS multipath suppression antenna array, comprising an annular ring antenna for receiving GPS signals resonant in a higher order TM41 mode, a circular microstrip antenna concentrically positioned within the annular ring antenna for use as an auxiliary element in cancelling out cross polarized LHCP multipath signals received by the annular ring antenna, a dielectric substrate layer sandwiched below the antennas and above a resistivity tapered ground plane, and a means for exciting both the circular microstrip antenna and the annular ring antenna to generate RHCP lower order TM11 mode far field radiation patterns, allowing the annular ring radiation pattern to phase track the radiated signals from the circular microstrip antenna to allow cancellation of the cross polarized GPS multipath at a desired elevation angle.
In another embodiment, the present invention is a dual frequency GPS multipath suppression antenna array, comprising a first annular ring antenna for receiving GPS signals in a first frequency band resonant in a higher order TM41 mode, a first circular microstrip antenna concentrically positioned within the first annular ring antenna for use as an auxiliary element in cancelling out cross polarized LHCP multipath signals received by the first annular ring antenna, a first dielectric substrate layer sandwiched beneath the first antennas and above a resistivity tapered ground plane, a second dielectric substrate layer stacked on top of the first circular and first annular ring antennas, a second annular ring antenna for receiving GPS signals in a second frequency band resonant in a higher order TM11 mode stacked on top of the second dielectric substrate layer and positioned coaxially above the first annular ring antenna, a second circular microstrip antenna positioned within the second annular ring antenna and stacked on top of the second dielectric substrate layer and positioned coaxially above the first circular microstrip antenna, means for exciting both the first circular microstrip antenna and the first annular ring antenna to generate RHCP lower order TM11 mode far field radiation patterns, allowing the first annular ring radiation pattern to phase track the radiated signals from the first circular microstrip antenna to allow cancellation of the cross polarized GPS multipath at a desired elevation, and means for exciting both the second circular microstrip antenna and the second annular ring antenna to generate RHCP lower order TM11 mode far field radiation patterns, allowing the second annular ring radiation pattern to phase track the radiated signals from the second circular microstrip antenna to allow cancellation of the cross polarized GPS multipath at a desired elevation angle.
In another embodiment, the present invention is a dual use satellite and terrestrial communications antenna array, comprising a circular microstrip patch antenna generating a single lobe, circularly polarized antenna pattern directed towards zenith for communicating with the satellite at a desired SATCOM frequency, and an annular ring microstrip patch antenna disposed around the circular microstrip patch antenna resonant in a higher order TM41 mode, but generating a xe2x80x9czeroxe2x80x9d order (TEM type) doughnut-shaped modal antenna pattern with perfect symmetry in all 360 degrees in azimuth and with peak gain at the horizon. Such an antenna pattern allows good terrestrial communications with mutiple users located at or near the horizon but spread uniformly all around the antenna. This antenna also has a null at zenith to minimize interference with the satellites appearing at higher elevation angles closer to the zenith direction. The excitation of this xe2x80x9czeroxe2x80x9d order mode in the annular ring antenna is achieved by maintaining all four probes at the same zero relative phase and equal amplitude. This type of symmetric pattern provides this antenna with a distinct advantage over other higher order mode patterns which do not have such symmetry in azimuth that are generated in antennas built by other workers, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,249 described earlier. A dielectric substrate layer is sandwiched beneath the circular microstrip patch antenna and annular ring microstrip patch antenna and above a conducting ground plane, and a plurality of coaxial probes, each probe extending through the conducting ground plane and dielectric substrate layer, for exciting the circular microstrip patch antenna or the annular ring microstrip patch antenna. Additionally, the circular microstrip patch antenna and annular ring microstrip patch antenna may each be tuned to separate frequencies to allow simultaneous communications with a SATCOM and a terrestrial communications system operating at different frequency bands. The two antennas in the array can also be tuned to the same frequency band so as to maintain continuous communications with a SATCOM system containing multiple satellites located at different elevation angles but all operating in the same frequency band.